Just One Step

Just a step or two ahead.

We all just need someone a step or two ahead of us to teach us, to coach us, to mentor us, to guide us.

Sometimes I forget this and aspire to learn from the biggest church out there, the most prominent leader in culture, the most accomplished female, the highly successful author, etc.

But what I really need is that person who is just a step or two ahead of me.  The person who has recently been in my shoes.  The person who remembers my season of life and can speak from experience and freshness.

Just one step…

And I too need to remember that I am just one step ahead of someone else.  I need to be aware of who I am  just one step ahead of.  Who can I encourage, support and inspire?

Who are you just one step ahead of?  Who can you encourage, support and inspire today?

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8 comments

  • mandythompson July 21, 2008  

    this is great. we are starting a mentoring/discipleship program at our church, and one of the things we are reminding ourselves is that we only have to be one step ahead of others, then we are able to lead them.

  • ncarnes July 21, 2008  

    I have the awesome responsibility and privilege to mentor youth workers in the PDYM network in Georgia. It sometimes feels weird being 27 and mentoring men and women who are older than I am, because I know there is so much they can teach me as well, so usually it ends up being a give and take. I love asking questions of others even as they are asking questions of me.

    I am also a firm believer that churches who are running 1,000 people should have seminars and conferences for those running less than them. Churches who are running 3,000 should have conferences who are running less than them, and so on…sometimes there is a disconnect between the churches of 15,000 – 20,000 and the churches of 300-500, there is so much to learn from them, but as you write here, most are no longer just a step ahead anymore. Sometimes you need to hear from the people who just left the trenches you are in.

  • Well, I don’t have any great words of wisdom like all the other peeps here do, but I do have someone that I AM one step ahead of…..MY TEENAGER!! Yeah, those of you who have “them” know that you have to stay one step ahead of them in order to outsmart them. Sad but true….I now know that God gave us these “teen” years so that we will be ready to kick them out at 18!! Can I get an Amen on that???

  • Jenni Catron July 21, 2008  

    @OCD-ism – funny!

  • JudiFree.com July 21, 2008  

    I’m just one step ahead of young married couples and new worship leaders…can’t wait to help lead them and show them God’s promises. Thanks Jenni for reminding me of this. I don’t have to have “DONE IT ALL”, I just have to be myself.

  • Jan Owen July 21, 2008  

    I have several less experienced worship leaders on my team that I hope I can continue to equip and lead and mentor in that capacity.

    I also feel like the lessons I’ve learned in this tough time of life in some ways make me “one step ahead” (in a difficult experience sort of way) of alot of other leaders. If I could shout out a warning I would. But I guess I for now I’ll work with those I am around, our staff, friends in ministry, when I’m asked to share, etc. and hopefully someone will hear a bit of my story about leading in a healthy way and be helped……..this one is harder because we often do not know we need to know this until life is crumbling around us. I’m still really praying about what God would have me do about this.

  • tam July 23, 2008  

    this is awesome jenni. i love this wisdom! i need to start looking at this the same way. it would take a lot of ‘pressure’ off i think.

    i dont know who i’m a step ahead of really. but it got me thinking of people who are inspired by others who dont communicate it. so you dont always know who’s watching.

    you always get me thinking. thank you!

  • Jenni Catron July 23, 2008  

    @tam – you are several steps ahead of me in blogging and you mentor me more than you realize in that… and I’m sure there are many others that you are influencing